My fellow blogger Helen Yendall has published an excellent post called Reality TV as 'Research for Writers', which you can read here.In similar vein, I've just rewatched the pilot of the wonderful series House, and it struck me that it is a masterclass for writers in how to avoid the awful information dump. There's some witty dialogue between the main protagonists in which we learn the relationship between them, along the lines of 'Just because you're my boss...' and cleverly posed questions, such as as when a patient asks Dr House 'What's wrong with your leg?' This seems like a perfectly natural way to find out what's what.
There are subtle pictures, too. As a way to give a patient mints instead of painkillers to achieve the placebo effect, we see Dr House empty a tub of vicodin into his pocket and replace them with the sweets; but why doesn't he just get a spare pot in the first place? Because he wants the drugs for himself, course!
I loved this series when it was on, and bought the box sets when it switched to a channel I didn't have. I watched it all the way through again, and delayed watching the last episode because I didn't want it to end. I did the same with Breaking Bad.
Give me a moment and I'll come up with some British shows that I've enjoyed as much.
